The machine tool may be, for example, a grinding machine, an erosion machine, a milling machine, combinations of said machine tools or even machining centers. The coolant distributor is disposed to move the coolant provided in the machine tool to the site or sites at which the machine tool is in engagement with the workpiece or at which cooling is required.
In machine tools comprising an automatic tool change, a re-adjustment of the coolant distribution may be necessary. The reason for this is that the size of the tools is not the same and that, therefore, the point of engagement between the tool and the workpiece is no longer in the same position.
In order to solve this problem it has been known from DE 198 44 242 C2, for example, to exchange a coolant distributor unit adapted to the tool together with the tool. To accomplish this, the coolant distributor unit is connected to the tool. The coolant distributor unit comprises a nipple that can be plugged into an insertion opening of a supply channel. The insertion direction of the nipple in the opening corresponds to the insertion direction of the tool spindle in the spindle receptacle. In doing so, when pretensioning the tool, a sealing connection between the nipple of the coolant distributor unit and the opening of the supply channel is to be achieved.
In this known coolant distributor, in particular at high pressures of up to 50 bar, sealing problems between the nipple and the insertion opening on the supply channel may occur. Document DE 198 44 242 C2 does not indicate how exactly a mechanical and, at the same time, fluid-tight connection can be established between the nipple and the insertion opening.